Zimmerman City Council votes to suspend park board

by Cordelia Frykman

Contributing Writer

The Zimmerman City Council voted on May 6 to temporarily suspend operation of the city’s park board.

According to City Administrator Randy Piasecki, the chairperson of the Zimmerman Park Board recently resigned.

City officials are unsure of how to move forward, and recommended the temporary suspension of the Park Commission until they come up with a plan to reorganize its operations.

Council Member Larry Farber, who served a liaison from the council to the park board, said that the board’s meetings were often canceled and showed other signs of disorganization.

The board is a volunteer advisory group that makes recommendations for park and recreation amenities. City staff will come back to the council with a recommendation on how to proceed.

Development moving forward in new market conditions

Zimmerman City Council members also approved the vacation of a section of Main Street right-of-way to the north of 2nd Avenue North as part of the Norway Ridge Fourth Addition construction, along with all drainage and utility easements on the project’s outlots.

All of the vacated road would be used in proposed twin home lots, and the vacated utility easements would be replaced by those proposed in the plat, according to council documents.

The matter was a public hearing, but no one addressed the council in person or in writing at the May 6 meeting.

Scott Wold of Monument Development presented the preliminary plat of Norway Ridge Fourth Addition, a 46-unit twin home development of Outlot A, Norway Ridge Second Addition and city-owned property at an April 24 planning commission meeting.

Wold explained the Norway Ridge development was platted and developed in 2001, with two phases of side-by-side townhomes being constructed. The recession of the late 2000’s stopped construction, and market conditions have since changed, making a new style of townhome more desirable.

The third addition, an 8-unit twin home plat approved in 2023, has been successful with two units sold and two units on hold for construction, acording to planning commission documents.

The overall density of the development decreases with reduction in units, but those units are unique to the Zimmerman market and Monument has expressed confidence in market interest.

“There was great interest in the units in Spring Parade of Homes, and prices are proposed to range from $320K - $400K depending on interior finishes and amenities,” planning commission documents state.

The Council also voted to approve the final plat of Norway Ridge Fourth Addition, in line with the planning commission’s recommendation.